When Duty Calls

We’ve all come across rogue dog poop throughout our communities, not only is it an eyesore and smells bad, it’s also a health risk to kids and other pets. But what’s a community to do when owners don’t pick up after their pets? Hire a waste removal service? Fine owners who don’t pick up after their pets? The problem with fining owners is that you don’t always know whose dog left the mess. There is a solution that associations across the country have started using, doggie dna-tracking systems.

Poo Prints, a Tennessee-based company markets a DNA-tracking system that traces poop to the dog, and therefore the owner who failed to clean up after their pet. But there is a catch, each pet owner within your community would need to submit their dog’s DNA to the Poo Print registry in order for the DNA to be traced back to the owner. The testing kits cost $30 with many associations charging an upward of $100 per fine, this cost would be covered by the offending owner.

A few things your community should consider before using Poo Prints:How will you get owners to submit their dog’s dna?For tests that come back negative, who’s responsible for paying? And most importantly, who’s in charge of collecting the test samples?

Now, if only dogs could learn how to clean-up after themselves…

A special thanks to Steve Susman with Pelican Pointe Homeowners Association for providing us with the above picture.